NetBSD in 2003 - Annual NetBSD Status Report

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NetBSD in 2003 - Annual NetBSD Status Report

Posted by michael on Sunday February 29, 2004 @02:57PM from the rules-of-order dept.

jschauma writes "On February 7th, The NetBSD Foundation held it's annual meeting, during which the developers discussed, among other things, how NetBSD progressed over the last year and what things are planned for the comming year. The Annual NetBSD Status Report summarizes this meeting and provides an overview of past, present and future of the NetBSD Project, the NetBSD operating system, pkgsrc and the NetBSD Foundation both in general and from the perspective of each group, to give users and people interested in NetBSD insight into the project. Please join our mailing lists for participating in ongoing discussion, and see our web site for more information about the NetBSD project, http://www.NetBSD.org."

49 comments

good report by H4x0r+Jim+Duggan · 2004-02-29 15:48 · Score: 5, Interesting

It's a pity such annual reports aren't more common among free software projects.

One funny thing is that the pkgsrc section mentions a patch in the GNATS database to allow pkgsrc to run on GNU Hurd systems! (it already runs on GNU/Linux)

I doubt any established distros are going to ditch their existing package systems, but if a new distro was to begin (as a non-Debian testbed for GNU/Hurd) - it would be worthwhile evaluating the *BSD package systems.

--
Please help publicise swpat.org - the software patents wiki
1. Re:good report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-29 22:48 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Well, Bluewall Linux uses NetBSD pkgsrc; though I don't understand why anyone would use it when there is the real thing.
2. Re:good report by kivaapina · 2004-03-01 02:04 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  The reason why such annual reports aren't more common is because they occur once a year. If they were to become more common they would cease to be annual.
3. Re:good report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-01 06:59 · Score: 0
  
  No, I expressed an opinion, and in some sense a question.
  Since you can't come up with a reason for anyone to use it either I don't think you really have anything to complain about, as I'm obviously not wrong.
NetBSD Status Report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-29 16:09 · Score: 1, Interesting

It's been over an hour since posting and it's pretty empty here so far... Any else out there.. out there... there..? Hello?..ello..llo..lo? In all seriousness, is there any reason to really use NetBSD over even FreeBSD unless you have some extravagantly ancient hardware?
1. Re:NetBSD Status Report by dasunt · 2004-02-29 16:54 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  is there any reason to really use NetBSD over even FreeBSD unless you have some extravagantly ancient hardware?
  
  Portable code tends to be rather clean code.
  
  Clean code tends to run better and have fewer bugs.
2. Re:NetBSD Status Report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-01 02:19 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  True, this is the main reason why FreeBSD decided to get more Tier 1 architectures, because portability is a good debugging tool.
3. Re:NetBSD Status Report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-01 23:18 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Portable code tends to be rather clean code.
  Clean code tends to run better and have fewer bugs.
  
  Yep. One of the more interesting ones to me was the new RC system, which when implemented on Vax was very noticably slower than the old one. I remember reading the whole thread on ways to resolve it. No flame wars, no little ranting "children", just a solid technical discussion on ways to fix it.
  
  It points out things when something that maybe adds .1 seconds to your startup on a fast x86 box adds *minutes* to the startup on your old Vax. Things like that might never have been noticed without it being so portable, and it leads to better code/performance for *all* platforms.
  
  Plus, having the same PCI card driver on your PC and your PPC Mac makes for easier fixes. Find a bug, fix it in one place, and all PCI platforms are fixed.
  
  I run NetBSD everywhere I can. The people on the boards are generally always very "professional", I don't see people getting flamed for asking "stupid" questions, and in general I see a lot of thought going into the *design* before things get implemented. I always find the Linux approach of "just start coding, figure it out as you go" to be a recipe for bad things... like a VM change in the middle of the 2.4 chain. Sorry, I want risk, I'll run -current. I want stability, I run a normal release. Never gotten bit on NetBSD yet.
4. Re:NetBSD Status Report by MarcQuadra · 2004-03-02 03:00 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Well the FreeBSD website doesn't appear to have a PowerPC version for the taking. I know it's probably quite possible, but NetBSD runs on PowerPC quite nicely.
  
  --
  "Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
5. Re:NetBSD Status Report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 11:35 · Score: 0
  
  PPC is in the works.
Is Linux a 501(c)(3) like NetBSD? by nutznboltz · 2004-03-01 01:50 · Score: 4, Interesting

This is important in the US since if you are a citizen there and you donate more than a certain amount per year to 501(c)(3) chartible organizations combined and you turn in all the receipts you can complete write the donations off on your taxes and get the money back either as a refund or in lieu of taxes paid.
1. Re:Is Linux a 501(c)(3) like NetBSD? by /dev/trash · 2004-03-01 11:35 · Score: 1
  
  Who in the hell rated this as Interesting?
Linux isn't a company by boobsea · 2004-03-01 02:40 · Score: 5, Informative

Talk about specific Linux development companies instead.

Debian might fall into this category, but I wouldn't know about others
If I were a rich man... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-01 03:41 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Whatever happened to tradition?

You sound like you just saw Fiddler On The Roof.
Re:No, its blatant bias in the mods in this sectio by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 06:56 · Score: 0

No, I didn't trash Linux you ignorant luser.
Slashdot is sad by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 09:09 · Score: 0

How nice, NetBSD 1.6.2 has been available for several hours and not one mention. Of course don't worry, in the meantime there's plenty of room to post the same story three or four times. Maybe that's why all the BSD folks have left slashdot and gone to daemonnews instead.
Re:No, its blatant bias in the mods in this sectio by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 10:17 · Score: 0

Jesus God you're a faggot.
Re:No, its blatant bias in the mods in this sectio by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 10:40 · Score: 0

Wow, what good arguments you come with, NOT! I'm amazed he even bother to reply to you in the first place.
Re:Annual NetBSD Status Report by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 11:59 · Score: 0

that's why the reports that "BSD is dying" are incorrect
Re:No, its blatant bias in the mods in this sectio by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 12:11 · Score: 0

Yes you did, you arrogant zealot. You said you didn't know why anyone would use Linux over NetBSD.

I guess you will try to deny that you said that..
Re:No, its blatant bias in the mods in this sectio by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-02 13:55 · Score: 0

I think you failed reading comprehension; he said he didn't see why anyone would run NetBSD pkgsrc on Linux when they could run it on NetBSD. He might as well question why anyone would run apt-get on NetBSD when they could run it on Linux, but that wasn't the question.

I think it's pretty obvious who's the zealot, here.